Endotracheal intubation and laryngoscopy are techniques that are often practiced by anesthesiologists in, for example, operating rooms, intensive care units, and emergency rooms. Most anesthesia textbooks recommend moving a patient's head into the “sniffing position” before intubating the patient. When a patient's head is in the sniffing position, typically: (1) the patient's head is elevated; (2) the patient's neck is extended; and (3) the patient's axis of vision is relatively well aligned with the axis of the patient's glottis. More specifically, the sniffing position is typically achieved when the oropharyngeal, laryngeal, and tracheal axes of the patient's head and neck are at least substantially aligned. Placing a patient's head into the sniffing position is desirable to give the practitioner intubating the patient as clear of a view as possible of the patient's glottis and vocal cords to successfully guide the intubation tube into the patient's trachea without injuring the patient.
Different techniques have been developed to assist practitioners in moving a patient's head into the sniffing position and maintaining it there. For example, most anesthesiologists use a standard blanket or pillow to maintain a patient's head in the sniffing position. However, standard pillows and blankets are typically ineffective at maintaining the patient's head in the sniffing position while the patient is being intubated.
As a result, many physicians manually extend the patient's head into the sniffing position and then manually maintain the patient's head in this position while intubating the patient. To do this, the physician may, for example, position their free hand under the back of the patient's neck and lift until the patient's head is extended. Alternatively, the physician may pull the patient's head back into the sniffing position by applying manual traction to the patient's hard palate. However, these maneuvers to improve head position can not be maintained through the actual intubation because the physician needs to use both hands to intubate the patient. In particular, the physician need to use one hand to manipulate the laryngoscope and the other to insert the endotracheal tube.
Another technique for positioning and maintaining a patient's head in a sniffing position involves positioning a laryngoscope within the patient's endotracheal airway and then lifting upwardly to pull on the patient's jaw and the basis of the patient's tongue to maintain the patient's head in extension. This technique requires the physician to apply a significant amount of force to the patient's jaw and tongue in order to maintain the patient's head in the sniffing position. This may cause damage to the patient's airway, lips, or teeth.
In light of the above, there is a need for an improved head positioning device that is capable of positioning the patient's head in a sniffing position efficiently without causing trauma or injury to the patient, and for maintaining the patient's head in the sniffing position while the patient is being intubated.